Project AWSIF - Part 1
"Put makeup on people's faces while they're asleep.
(If you don't have makeup, a thick marker will do.)"
"It's Art"
By Urby (Now with less fat)
Sheena stared at the long sheet of paper in front of her. Hopefully, it would be resilient enough to put up with what she was going to do with it. She picked up the brush, sloshed it around in the dish and swished it liberally on the paper.
She had barely even started when she heard the soft pattering of little feet trying to be quiet leading up to the low table. Genis' head poked over her shoulder, looking down at her work.
"Wha'cha doin'?" he asked, poking her back.
"Writing a poem," she answered, finishing the last few strokes she could with the amount of ink she had left in the brush.
"Didn't know you were much of a poetic person," Genis stared at the paper. He thought for a bit, then turned to Sheena, saying, "It's not an angsty poem, is it?"
"No," Sheena glared at him.
"Okay. Scared me for a moment," the little mage poked the ink stone, disturbing the ink settled on it. "What's it say?"
Sheena stared at it, wondering how she could translate it. "It's...it's about..."
"What's that?" Genis blurted, his attention focused on the brush, noticing it for the first time, or something.
"This?" Sheena picked it up, startled a bit by his outburst. "It's -"
"Gimmie," Genis ignored her, his hand demanding it.
Grumbling, Sheena passed the brush, which Genis nabbed and studied. He frowned at it, twirling it about and feeling it.
It was a while before any of them spoke, and it was Genis who broke the silence with, "A marker?"
"Ink brush," Sheena hissed.
"A marker," he nodded. She had to keep from shaking him to find out whether or not he just was being stupid on purpose or he wasn't faking it. Then again, everyone was always so tired by the end of the day it was hard to convey the difference between sarcasm and regular speech. "Hmmm..."
"I need it back," Sheena growled, fed up. He plunked it back into her hand, fleeing. It was a well known fact around the group that Sheena's fury was one of the worst, second to Colette's. Colette's, you ask? Yes, Colette. It's best you don't ask. It's a moment no one is proud of.
Sheena huffed at the little one's retreating footsteps and glowered back at the paper, in no mood to finish the poem. Deciding that it would do her some good for her body and her mood, she slunk into her bed to take a nap.
She woke up in the middle of the night. Well, that's what she thought it was, it was all dark and stuff.
She shifted and buried her face in her pillow, trying to find out what woke her up.
There was no noise...
No lights...
But for some reason, she was wide awake.
Sheena sat up, rubbing her eyes. Well, no denying it now. She wouldn't be sleeping much tonight.
But...why?
She gazed over at the unfinished poem, and she understood.
Her inner artist had been unfairly restrained.
It was silly, and she pinched herself to stop thinking of such stupid things, but a part of her went on. Genis had totally wrecked her groove, man! It wasn't finished expressing itself!
Giving up, she got up and seated herself at the table, sighing.
No, her inner artist pouted. It was done with that. It needed something more...challenging! Worth its talent!
Okay, Sheena snapped at it, what do you want?
It nudged her to her feet and down the hall, where a box lay on a shelf.
"What?" she said aloud as she opened the box. She'd noticed it before, but dismissed it earlier, eager to flop on a bed and scream into a pillow just because screaming into a pillow was something they always did in the movies at the end of the day anyway. Inside was a beautiful arrangement of makeup.
This is what I want! Her inner artist giggled.
"'S not mine," she said firmly, closing the box and turning her back on it.
So what? She thought to herself after a while, stealing it away. It was the owner's fault for leaving it out.
Sheena plunked it in her room, popping it open again. There was enough to drown a kid in there.
Now she was faced with an unsettling problem: what was she going to do with them?
Stupid! Her inner artist slapped her. You've plenty of space to work on!
She held up a tube of lipstick and grinned, understanding.
She was going to get in so much trouble in the morning.
Her first piece was going to be on Genis' face, since he was the one who caused it all, to thank him and to punish him.
He was zonked out, threatening to fall headfirst into the floor, his mouth gaping in a snore. Sheena decided on a bunch of green eye shadow, some blue lipstick (why in the worlds someone would want blue lips, she had no idea) and a bold "MARKER BOY" on his forehead, backwards, so he could read it in the mirror. Then she realized she had also put it upside-down, but she decided to leave it that way.
Raine was a little more difficult, because the woman wouldn't keep still, but she eventually managed to splash some horrible mess of color on her and a monster mouth filled with teeth. It would have its full effect when she woke up and screamed when she'd see her face!
Sheena tiptoed into the next room, giggling like mad. Oh, this was so fun, it had to be illegal!
The next room had Lloyd and Colette in it (Lloyd was sleeping on the floor. Or he rolled off. Anyway, they're not getting up to things)
Colette ended up with a feather on her cheek and a puppy face, while Lloyd got some Noishe markings and the words "Black Hole" with an arrow pointing to his mouth.
She snuck out, snickering. All of this was so oddly satisfying. She should do this more often!
As she wombled along, there was a questioning cough from a slightly open door. Sheena jumped, startled by the little noise.
She peeked in, wondering what had scared her so much. It was Regal, who was sitting at another of the low tables, apparently meditating until Sheena passed by.
"What are you doing...?" he asked in a low tone. (What the hell am I saying...he always talks in a low tone)
"None of your business," she snapped, angry that she got all scared over Regal, because he's harmless. (Most of the time)
"What is that behind your back?"
"None of your business!" she repeated, putting the box on the ground and hiding it behind the door discreetly.
"Alright," he sighed, putting a hand up to calm her down, "I was just wondering what you were doing running around everyone's room with that box of makeup."
"It's not mine," Sheena blurted as an explanation, since she'd be rather be shot dead then own one of those things, so girly and stuff.
"All the more reason you shouldn't run around with it," Regal delicately arched an eyebrow in a sort of 'tut-tut, bad you' way.
"That's none of your business!" Sheena said again, huffing. "I'm borrowing it."
"I see," he nodded, "what for?"
"T' put on everyone's face, duh," she meyawped. (That must be the weirdest word I've ever made up, ever)
"Really now," Regal sighed.
"You included," Sheena rubbed her chin thoughtfully, realizing that. "Huh."
Regal grumbled good-naturedly and gestured her in, waiting patiently as Sheena doodled a pawprint and a cooking pot on his forehead and applied some mascara. She skipped out, guffawing.
"You should put some on your face as well," he called out, "or else everyone's going to suspect you."
"I'll think about it," Sheena waved as she slipped into another room.
The next victim...uh, well, they can't volunteer...okay fine, victim, was Presea. She earned herself a cat head and several cookies, along with some overly-done traditional makeup.
She closed the door behind her, sighing. Only one face left...
And it was Zelos'.
She tried the door, finding it blocked somehow. It turned out the door was simply stubborn and having a bad day, because it swung open after a bit of coaxing (in which I mean she kicked it)
But when she had crawled up to him, she was at a loss. What should she do? Should she plaster some stuff on him to make him the worst girly-man in the worlds, or, perhaps...?
Her mind was blank. She could make it the tackiest project yet, but it just didn't seem right.
And the way he was sleeping...so peacefully, so unlike his rambunctious waking self...
Sheena shook her head, clearing it. She had to concentrate! She brushed some hair away from his face, prepping him for his...ordeal.
But all the terrible things she had in mind before...just vanished. She couldn't remember what she wanted to do before.
She took a bit of blush anyway, wetting it with a bit of water from a nearby sink to make a sort of paste to coat his face.
Then, a bit of white foundation lining his nose and mouth...hey, this wasn't turning out so bad! Now, all she needed was -
She reached into the box and realized the black eyeliner pencil was a paltry stub, not even able to muster a sad little line.
Damn it! It was doing great until she found out that was missing. And she couldn't leave her masterpiece unfinished! That was rude, and...
Well, anyway, it had to be black, not blue or dark purple, it had to be black, black like a crow, black like the night, like a shadow, like Raine's stew! Black like...like...
Like ink.
No, she reasoned with herself, rubbing her chin. Ink would run too much and ruin the stuff already present, and it was toxic, besides. She could stand being responsible for the makeup mess, but she didn't want to kill anybody.
Then, what could she use? She clawed her head for an answer. It was right at the tip of her tongue! A...a...a what? A...
A marker! She chided herself for being so stupid and promptly kicked herself to go get one. She found a nice fat (and non-toxic) one in Colette's room and immediately began working on the finishing touches on Zelos' features, lining his eyes thickly with the marker and coloring the end of his nose.
She stepped back to see her work better, smiled at his cutely decorated mug and walked back to her room, tired from her mischief and wanting some rest before her punishment in the morning.
Besides, she'd have to figure out something for herself...
"Aaaaeeeii!" Raine shrieked, jabbing a finger at Genis.
"What's so...auuuuugh!" Genis screamed, falling off the bed.
"You're...you're!" Raine stammered.
"You!" Genis gasped.
"You!" Raine insisted.
"Me!" Colette poked in, happy with her 'war paint'.
"Whine," Lloyd glomped her, giving her a big lick.
"Yuck," Genis stuck his tongue out, making a retching noise.
"I don't understand," Presea poked her lip, amazed at the amount of lipstick that stuck to her finger. "What is this?"
Sheena decided to make her entrance now, stretching. "What's all the racket...oh my god!" she pointed to Regal, who rolled his eyes.
"I like mine," Zelos smiled, growling as he chased Colette, yipping like a fox (which was what Sheena had decided to make him). "And you, Sheena...not looking too bad yourself."
"I got some too?" she coughed, trying not to break out laughing (and so far, doing a fine job)
"Look," Genis held up a mirror.
Sheena took it and had a look, proud of the job she did on making a sort of geisha head, considering she didn't have all the colors she wanted and had to do it in the dark.
"So...who did it...?" Raine said calmly, casting a look about. "I didn't."
There was silence.
"Not me," Zelos twirled a bit of hair.
Regal shook his head.
"Nope," Genis snorted.
"Didn't," Colette folded her hands.
"Heck no," Lloyd scoffed.
"I still don't understand," Presea whined softly.
Everyone stared at Sheena.
"What, what?" she blurted, taking a few steps back. "I didn't do anything! But...I know who did!"
"Really?" Raine crossed her arms. "Who?"
"It was..." Sheena waited, looking at everyone's face to see if she had their attention. "...A kami!" she punctuated the statement with a jump, wigging out (which basically means, she flopped her tongue out and went 'bllblla'...you've done it before, admit it)
"A kawhat?" Raine managed through a giggle, trying to remain serious while everyone else was laughing. (Regal was chuckling, okay, but he doesn't count)
"A kami!" Sheena repeated, putting on an earnest face. "It must have come during the night, putting all this stuff on our faces...and then left!"
"Alright, a kami," Raine rubbed her nose against her sleeve for no reason, "is this...kami going to come back and haunt us again?"
"Who knows," Sheena grinned, shrugging helplessly. "Maybe it will, maybe it won't...I don't know!"
"I hope it does," Colette piped, "we all need a good laugh now and then."
"I vote we keep this stuff awhile," Lloyd nabbed the mirror, making his best Noishe impression.
"Well, okay," Genis wiped his mouth on his sister's robe sneakily, "as long as this stuff isn't toxic or anything..."
"I don't think so," Presea smacked her lips, trying to get rid of the thick 'tape on my mouth' sensation.
Sheena put a hand over her mouth, laughing gently behind it.
The kami known as her inner artist would haunt them for quite a while.